After two days occupying the apostolic nunciature in Bogotá, protestors agreed to leave. They were protesting the violence of paramilitary groups against community leaders and Indigenous peoples and will now hold a meeting with the government about potential solutions. The group of about 15 activists got into the area on June 4, during a march…
Less than a week after Pope Francis called on people to recognise migrants as “a living image of God’s people on their way to the eternal homeland,” voters across Europe dealt a potentially serious blow to that vision by rewarding far-right, anti-immigrant parties in elections for the European parliament. While mainstream, pro-EU forces are still…
A national gathering will explore how black Catholics can “embrace the gifts” they bring to the church, particularly to the Mass, according to organisers. Some 300 are expected to attend the 2024 Lyke Conference, which takes place June 18 to 22 in Grapevine, Texas. The event, launched in 2004 and held annually for most of the years…
A sister from Manorcunningham, Co. Donegal has been appointed by Pope Francis as a Member of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, Section for First Evangelisation and New Particular Churches. Sr Mary T. Barron, is the Congregational Leader for the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA). The congregation considers the appointment to be “a great…
The Presentation Family in Cork celebrated the first profession of a new Brother on June 1. Antony Sahayampillai (28), a native of Sri Lanka, has been studying in Ireland for the past three years. Br Antony’s vows were received by Br Barry Noel, Congregation Leader of the Presentation Brothers. The Mass of Religious Profession was…
Letter of the Week A narrative which sees life, family, religion as dispensable Dear Editor, As we look back on a completely lacklustre European election campaign, we see that it ignored the most important challenge facing our continent, namely the impending social and economic collapse which is seen as inevitable by multiple demographic statisticians. No…
While there has been much talk of the UK looking likely to buck the trend of the move to the right in politics that is occurring across Europe with the impending election of a Labour government, ostensibly the local and European elections point towards a similar outcome in Ireland. With Fianna Fail and Fine Gael…
Birthgap – is population collapse the next pandemic that dare not speak its name? On the latest episode of The Confession Box, host Wendy Grace talks to data scientist and demographer Stephen J. Shaw about the detrimental impacts of population decline. Stephen explains the shocking revelations from his documentary film “Birthgap – Childless World” including:…
The recently appointed auxiliary Bishop of Dublin Paul Dempsey is to chair a group responsible for the pastoral renewal of Dublin City Centre, which will see two churches upgraded to Cathedral (St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral) and Minor Basilica status (St Andrew’s Westland Row) if approved by Rome. Substantial financial support is believed to be forthcoming for…
The Irish Church can learn from parishes in America who are responding to the housing crisis by opening unused rectories to Catholics according to a leading Irish ministry leader and speaker based in California. “They’re starting to lease those to elderly communities, so the elderly can have assisted living communities. Or in my locality, a…